Traders using ‘wrong’ insulation says OFT

Some traders are installing the wrong insulation in homes with “inappropriate materials”, according to the Office for Fair Trading (OFT).

The OFT says the Government must improve consumer protection, as it carried out the research after a high level of consumer complaints about home insulation.

They received complaints that some traders are not always installing the most suitable form of insulation, for example by using inappropriate materials in houses that are susceptible to damp.

Some customers also report problems with “defective paperwork” and “potentially aggressive and misleading sales techniques”, with the OFT coming across concerns over the quality of products and services.

Nisha Arora, OFT’s Director of Services, Infrastructure and Public Markets said: “The home insulation sector is now worth some £700 million and it is important that people receive good quality, well-installed insulation that makes their homes more energy efficient.”

The findings could give DECC pause for thought, with possibly implications for the Government’s Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) policies, which Energy Minister Greg Barker said could be the biggest home improvement scheme since the Second World War.